All four WPIAL champs advance to PIAA boys singles, doubles tennis semifinals
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Friday, May 25, 2018 | 8:42 PM
Two WPIAL singles players and two doubles teams still are alive for titles at the PIAA boys tennis championships at the Hershey Racquet Club.
All four WPIAL champions won a pair of matches Friday and will play in the semifinals Saturday morning. The Class AAA matches are at 9 a.m., with the Class AA semis to follow at 11.
Sewickley Academy sophomore Arjan Bedi kicked off play in the Class AA singles bracket with a come-from-behind victory over District 3's Parker Lando, a freshman from York Suburban. Bedi lost the first set 3-6 but rallied for 6-1 wins in the second and third sets.
Bedi then topped District 9 champion Matt Blose, a senior from Punxsutawney, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.
Up next for Bedi is District 6 champion Adam Kush, a senior from Westmont Hilltop.
Bedi's Sewickley teammates, seniors Will Nocito and Dylan Parda, won their first two matches in straight sets. They topped Camp Hill seniors Spencer and Alex Landis, 6-4, 6-4, before defeating District 4 champs Drew King and Peter Kinaman, a pair of seniors from Lewisburg, 6-0, 6-1.
Nocito and Parda now will face District 6 champions Paul Lemaire and Ethan Vipond, seniors from Tyrone.
Fox Chapel junior Robby Shymansky also won his Friday matches in straight sets. He opened play in the Class AAA singles bracket with a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over senior Cole Groetsch from District 1's Central Bucks South.
He then blanked District 4 champion Kevin Zheng, a senior from Williamsport, 6-0, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
Shymansky's semifinal match will be against District 3 champ Holden Koons, a junior from Dallastown.
Shady Side Academy junior Naman Dua and freshman Colin Gramley punched their ticket to the semifinals in Class AAA doubles with wins over the third-place team from District 1 and the District 2 champs.
Dua and Gramley needed three sets to beat North Penn senior Frank Yanni and freshman Ansh Sharma, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Their quarterfinal match went a little quicker as they dispatched Delaware Valley junior Tomas Reese and senior Chris Vibert, 6-0, 6-1.
Dua and Gramley's quest for PIAA gold continues with a semifinal matchup against Great Valley seniors Nikhil Gangoli and Sam Kesti, the fifth-place team from District 1.
The Class AAA singles and doubles championship and consolation matches are at 1 p.m. with the Class AA matches at 3.
Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.
Tags: Fox Chapel, Sewickley Academy, Shady Side Academy
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